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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stock — shares
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. press — newspapers
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stock — goods
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com